


Watching

by Marsalias



Series: Grandfather Clocks [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Fluff, Gen, Ghost Family Bonding, Lost Time, Parental Feelings, Soft but a little eerie, Watching Someone Sleep, after all this time, finally putting grandfather clocks up here, look at me, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23701903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsalias/pseuds/Marsalias
Summary: Clockwork stops time to check in on Daniel.
Series: Grandfather Clocks [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706959
Comments: 15
Kudos: 389
Collections: Love dan





	Watching

All sentient ghosts have at least one obsession. An obsession is what allows a ghost to exist. It is their reason for existing. Their purpose.

Most sapient ghosts have more than one obsession. In general, the more complex the obsession or obsessions, the more complex and intelligent the ghost. Even the Box Ghost has more than one obsession. As much as he loves his boxes, he also craves respect.

Clockwork was not unusual in this regard.

He had his primary obsession, his first obsession, that he had had ever since forming from the primordial ectoplasmic mist: keeping the time lines safe and intact. But over the course of his existence he had also become obsessed with creating the best time lines, with creating happiness, and, once he had spent a few thousand years observing sentient, sapient creatures, preserving freedom of choice. These secondary obsessions had grown in importance with Clockwork's understanding of the world around him until they were equal to his first obsession. It made him regret that foolish oath he had made to the Observants in his youth all the more.

No matter.

There was one obsession, though, that Clockwork had kept secret since he had first become aware of it. If the Observants had even the slightest hint that it existed, they would take steps to ensure that he could never, ever fulfill it. Not that Clockwork had ever intended to do so. He, more than anyone else, knew the risks involved, and he would not endanger the time lines for something so selfish.

It was nice, after spending hours, or even days, wrestling with a recalcitrant time line, or patching difficult holes in space and time, to have a fantasy to fall back on. But it was just that. A fantasy.

Even so, when the chance to satisfy this obsession came up out of nowhere, as the natural result of following the Observants' orders, no less, and with the potential to create an entirely new set of positive time lines, Clockwork caved to temptation.

It was because of this, this dangerous secondary obsession, that Clockwork was hovering in the middle of Daniel's room. Watching him sleep. Watching him breathe.

Now, neither of these things were unusual in and of themselves. All humans and many ghosts needed some form of sleep. Daniel required five hours of sleep to be fully functional, and appreciated it when he got more. What was unusual about Daniel's continued slumber was that his ghost sense had gone off some time ago, when Clockwork had first arrived, and he had barely stirred. It was touching, really. Usually, Daniel would be up in seconds, ready to fight off whatever ghost had woken him. That he hadn't meant that on some level, Daniel recognized Clockwork's ectosignature, and didn't consider it a threat.

As for breathing, well, Daniel breathed all the time, even in his ghost form, when, strictly speaking, he didn't have to. It was an unconscious reflex for him, although he did tend to breathe more slowly, and more rarely, than a normal human being. What made Daniel's breathing noteworthy at this precise moment, was that Clockwork had stopped time.

Clockwork had stopped time and Daniel was most definitely _not_ wearing one of Clockwork's time medallions.

The corners of Clockwork's mouth turned upwards slightly as, very, very slowly Daniel's chest rose and fell. No, Daniel was not moving at his normal speed, but the fact was that he shouldn't be moving at all.

Clockwork drifted closer, and with one cold, blue hand reached out to touch the side of Daniel's face. Daniel, again very, very slowly, leaned into the touch, still not waking up. Clockwork's smile became more pronounced, sharp white teeth glinting between his lips.

"All is as it should be."


End file.
